French-owned container ship exits Hormuz in first since Iran war

DUBAI – A container ship signalling French ownership has exited the Strait of Hormuz, in what appears to be the first known transit by a vessel linked to Western Europe since the war all but shuttered the vital waterway.

The CMA CGM Kribi sailed from waters off Dubai towards Iran on the afternoon of April 2, local time, signalling that its owner was French, according to ship-tracking data.

It stuck close to the Iranian coast, moving through a channel between the islands of Qeshm and Larak, openly broadcasting its journey.

On the morning of April 3, it signalled that it was off Muscat. Two people familiar with the situation also said the ship had crossed.

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has practically halted since the US and Israel attacked Iran more than a month ago, with just a trickle of ships making the crossing.

Those have mostly been vessels associated with friendly nations, and a system is emerging whereby Iran pre-approves transit along a route that hugs close to its coast.

Pakistan, for example, reached a deal for 20 ships to cross under its flag, and other Asian nations have also secured safe passage.

European states, including France, are making initial diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis, but so far, no progress has been reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on April 3 during a trip to South Korea that France will work to stabilise the situation in Hormuz, “once the bombardments have ceased”.

The French-owned, Maltese-flagged vessel belongs to CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container line, which is majority-owned by the billionaire Saade family.

The founder immigrated to France from war-torn Lebanon and started the line in 1978 in Marseille, with one leased vessel.

The company and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment. France’s Ministry of Finance did not respond to a request for comment. 

Tracking ships entering and exiting Hormuz is not an exact science and has been complicated by intense signal jamming in the area, as well as spoofing of signals.

Three other ships also appeared to have exited the Gulf through the strait on April 3, but further south along the coastline of Oman.

While traffic is still minimal compared with pre-war levels, there has been a slight uptick.

Iran, meanwhile, is taking steps to cement its grip on the strait long-term, moving to establish a system of tolls for a waterway that is crucial to the world’s supply of oil and gas.

That is alarming Gulf Arab states, which rely on the waterway for their exports, and would raise hurdles for consumers too.

The CMA CGM Kribi can carry about 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, and draft readings show it is sitting low in the water, indicating that it is filled with cargo.

The company has said 14 of its ships have been stuck in the Persian Gulf and are unable to pass through the strait. BLOOMBERG